Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid has approved the security plan for the GCC Summit, which will be hosted by Kuwait from Dec 10-11

‘KAC privatization law flawed’ ‘Confusion... no one focusing on development’

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 2: Law number 6/2008 on the privatization of Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) and other related laws are flawed as they allow participation of international companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), says MP Khalil Al- Saleh. In a press conference at the Parliament Monday, Al-Saleh pointed out that the KAC privatization laws were amended recently to include the local companies but this is not enough to address the issue.

He attributed the national transport problem to the ongoing conflicts between many entities; to the extent that each minister does not want KAC to be under their portfolios. He cited as an example the former ministers of finance and communication who did not recognize KAC as a subsidiary of their ministries. He said there is confusion and the government cannot identify a proper vision to recover whatever the corporation had lost. “Everyone wants to take over the airline sector; thereby, causing friction among various parties. In the end, the people of Kuwait will pay the price, while the government remains silent and inactive,” he asserted.

Al-Saleh lamented there is no unity in the government, indicating the KAC board is divided and no one is focusing on its development. He believes the best solution is to transform the corporation into a government company with a management specialized in the aviation field. He argued it is better to privatize sectors of the corporation within a certain period until the idea grows and changes the method of distributing wealth to real development in which everybody should participate. In a related development, MP Saleh Al-Ashour admitted he was surprised when Minister of Communications Essa Al-Kandari suspended KAC Board Chairman Sami Al-Nisf.

He argued the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is responsible for KAC; indicating he and some of his colleagues have requested for the formation of an investigative committee to look into the issue. Meanwhile, MP Mohammed Al- Huwailah presented a proposal on the establishment of entertainment centers and workshops for people with special needs.